Can the NWSL and USL Super League Coexist?

February 28, 2024
By Rohtas Wadera

Can the NWSL and USL Super League coexist? That’s the major question that every women’s soccer fan should consider when the USL Super League begins operations in August 2024. The U.S. Soccer Federation voted to give the USL Super League Division One status, putting it at the top of the American women’s soccer league pyramid as a top-flight league. This is a move that has been in the works for some time. President Amanda Vandervort made this her passion project, and it’s become a reality. Here’s what this news means for the NWSL and USL Super League together as they try to coexist.

There may be some concern about how the NWSL and USL Super League will work alongside each other. Here’s my take: we got to talk to multiple higher-ups from the USL. Episode 69 of Give N’ Go features an in-depth interview with USL President Amanda Vandervort, and we asked her the same question.

Will the USL be in direct competition, and can they coexist? Vandervort wholeheartedly believes there is more than enough opportunity to go around. America is a big country with plenty of soccer-crazy fans in small markets eager to have their own team. There are only 14 teams in the NWSL, and thousands and thousands of talented players go undrafted every year. There’s an opportunity within the market as it expands to give women more opportunities.

The best way to look at it is by looking at the MLS. Yes, they don’t technically have a league in direct competition with them like the NWSL and USL will, but look at the sheer number of teams that exist on the men’s side. The MLS expanded to 29 teams, which is huge for any league, and there are still 65 other pro teams that exist in other leagues.

Those leagues and teams wouldn’t exist if fans didn’t enjoy the product and support those teams regularly. It’s possible to root for an NWSL team that you like and root for a USL team as well. There are still some regions that the NWSL hasn’t accounted for, and that’s where the USL comes in.

If anything, it will bring more eyes and help grow the game even more. If both leagues are good and the games are fun, then the people will watch both. I don’t think people will discriminate against either league unless there’s a PR disaster or the USL manages to poach players who are rumored to come to the NWSL. The USL’s plan isn’t to take down the NWSL and have the USL SL be the best league. Vandervort’s goal is to provide more opportunities for athletes like herself who didn’t get the chance to go pro because the market and infrastructure weren’t there.

It isn’t just Amanda Vandervort that feels this way. Stay on the lookout for a future Give N’ Go episode with Christina Unkel, who recently became the President of the Tampa Bay Sun in the USL. Her sentiments were similar to what Vandervort had to say: there’s no effort to try and take over and surpass the NWSL; it’s just for the love of the game.

One final thought is this: what kind of media deal will the USL be able to get to get their games broadcasted on TV or streaming? If they can land any kind of deal close to the new deal the NWSL just signed to get on Amazon, Scripps, and, most importantly, ESPN, things will get very interesting. Until then, the NWSL has the advantage. They’ve got a 12-year head start as a top-flight league. The USL might be able to get to that level, but it will take more time than we think.